Toy for use with kites



Aug. 30, 1960 J. W. GRAHAM ETAL TOY FOR USE WITH KITES Filed Aug. 29, 1957 INVENTORS. JOHN W. GRAHAM, BY JOHN K. KERVER,

ATONE United States Patent TOY FOR USE WITH KITES John W. Graham, 4621 Beech, Bellaire, Tex., and John K. Kerver, 5807 Southhurst, Houston, Tex.

Filed Aug. 29, 1957, Ser. No. 681,031

9 Claims. (Cl. 244155) The present invention is directed to a wind propelled toy. More particularly, the invention is concerned with a toy adapted to be propelled by the wind along and up a kite string. In its more specific aspects the invention is directed to a flexible toy adapted to be released from a kite string.

The present invention may be briefly described as a toy adapted to be propelled by the wind along and up a kite string when affixed releasably around the kite string. The toy comprises a flexible sheet having an axial opening cut out of the sheet, the sheet being formed to provide on its periphery at least one tab and adjacent the periphery and opposite the tab at least one slot adapted to receive the tab such that the flexible sheet is adapted to be formed around the kite string into a frusto-conical shape with its apex pointing toward the kite. The tab fits releasably into the slot and causes the opening to form a passageway at the apex of the cone of suflicient size for the kite string and of a size suflicient to provide wind resistance for propelling the shape along and up the kite string. On reaching the kite, the shape is released by pulling the kite string in from about 2 to about feet and then releasing it suddenly.

The frusto-conical shape may be an oblique cone or may have an angle of the apex of the cone in the range of about 10 to about 90. A cone having an angle of the apex of about 45 gives very satisfactory results and is preferred.

The diameter of the base of the frusto-conical shape may range from about 2 inches to about 8 inches with a preferred range from about 3 to about 4 inches.

The height of the frusto-conical shape may range from about 2 inches to about 8 inches.

The cut out opening in the flexible sheet storms a passage for the kite string at the apex in the range from about /s inch to about 4 inch.

The flexible sheet is suitably constructed of paper of a thickness about that of writing paper or the flexible sheet may be plastic of writing paper thickness. Metal foil, such as aluminum foil, of the thickness mentioned supra may also be used to form the flexible sheet. Other metallic foils such as tin or copper may be employed but paper is preferred to form the flexible sheet.

The flexible sheet is suitably and preferably of semicircular shape with a semi-circular axial cut out portion. The flexible sheet may have at least one tab on its surface adjacent the opening and at least one slot opposite the tab on the sheet to receive releasably the tab such that the sheet may be formed into the frusto-conical shape.

The flexible sheet, when an oblique conical shape is desired, is suitably arcuately formed having intersecting curves and intersecting straight lines, the straight lines intersecting to form an angle less than 180 and preferably in the range from about 100 to about 180. A preferred angle for the intersecting lines is about 150. The intersecting curves are defined by arcs having an angle of intersection from about 90 to about 180.

The present invention will be further described by reference to the drawing in which:

Fig. 1 represents a preferred embodiment;

Fig. 2 is an embodiment which may be formed into an oblique cone;

Fig. 3 illustrates the embodiment of Fig. 2 being propelled on a kite string; and

Fig. 4 is a modification of the embodiment of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawing, in which identical numerals designate identical parts, and particularly to Fig. 1, numeral 11 designates a flexible sheet suitably constructed of paper of the desired thickness. The sheet 11 has a semi-circular shape and is formed to provide an axial semi-circular opening 12. Adjacent the opening 12 is a slot 13 and opposite thereto and also adjacent the ably arranged on kite string 24 to be propelled therealong by the wind to kite 25 from the operator such as a child 26. When the shape 23 has travelled to kite 25 or has reached a desired elevation, a pull on string 24 a dis tance from Z to about 10 feet and then suddenly releasing it causes the wind to release the shape 23 from the string and allow it to float, as shown by the dotted lines, to the ground 27. This provides amusement to children since messages thus may be sent up the kite string and released.

The invention is also useful besides being amusing in that printed messages may be on the flexible sheet. Printed matter may be of an advertising nature which will be distributed widely by the wind.

In Fig. 4, the sheet 11 has a tab 28 adjacent the periphery of sheet 11 and a slot 29 adapted to receive the tab 28.

The embodiments of Figs. 1 and 4 may be suitably formed into frusto-conical shapes around a kite string and propelled up the string by the wind such as described with respect to Figs. 2 and 3 and then released.

The frusto-conical shapes may be formed of brightly colored flexible sheets having colors such as red, blue, green, purple, yellow, and the like, and combinations thereof. The shapes may be white or colored and may thus be constructed of white paper having printed figures and the like thereon and be useful and amusing to children and adults. If desired, the shapes may be free of any design or the like.

A number of toys of the nature described herein have been constructed and placed on kite strings and propelled up the kite strings by the wind. Thereafter, a sharp jerk or tug caused by pulling the string in about 2 to about 10 feet and then releasing the string suddenly caused release of the toy from the string whereupon it floated to the earth. This travel of the toys up the string and release therefrom proved fascinating to both children and adults observing and using the toys on the kite strings.

The nature and objects of the present invention having been fully described and illustrated, what we wish to claim as new and useful and secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A toy adapted to be propelled by the wind along and up a kite string when afiixed releasably around the kite string which consists of an arcuately shaped flexible sheet the boundaries of which are formed of at least one intersecting curve and at least one straight line and having an axial opening cut out of the sheet on the boundary formed of the straight line, said sheet being formed to provide adjacent said opening and adjacent the periphery slot tocause said opening to define 'a passagewayat the apex of the cone of suflicient size for the kite string and of asize to provide 'windresistance forpropelling said shape'alon'g' and up the kite string, said shape being releasable from the kite string on pulling the kite string in and suddenlyreleasing it. 7 c p 2. A toy in accordance with claim 1 in which the sheet is formed'to provide an oblique'frusto-conical shape.

3. toy in accordance with claim 1 in which the angle ofjtheapex of the cone is in the range from about to about 90.

4. 'A-toy in accordance with claim 1 in which the flexiblefsheet is of' a size to provide a frusto-conical shapehavinga diameter in the range from about 2 inches to about S inches with the passageway at the apex of the cone having a diameter in the range from about ,4; inch to about inch, said cone having a height from about 2 to about 6 inches.

5gAjtoy' in accordance with claim 1 in which the flexible sheet is paper.

6. 'A'toy' in accordance with claim 1 in which the flexible sheet is plastic. 7

A toy in accordance with claim 1 in which the flexible sheet is metallic foil.

8. A toy adapted to be propelled by the wind along andup 'a kite string when aflixed releasably around the kite string which consists of a semi-circular flexible sheet having an axial semi-circular opening cut out of the sheet, saidsheet'being formed to provide adjacent said opening and adjacent the periphery of the sheet at least one tab,

shape with its apex pointing toward the kite, said tab being releasably received in said slot to cause said opening to define a circular passageway at the apex of the cone of sufiicient size for the kite string and of a size to provide Wind resistance for propelling said shape along and up the kite string, said shape being releasable from the kite string on pulling the kite string in and suddenly releasing it.

and; at least one slot opposite the tab said flexible sheet being formed around the kite string into a frusto-conical 9. A toy adapted to be propelled by the wind along and up a kite string when aflixed releasably around the kite string'which'co'nsists of a flexible sheet, the boundaries of which are formed of intersecting curves and straight lines and having an axial opening cut out of the sheet adjacent the point of intersection of the straight lines, said sheet. being formed to provide adjacent said opening and adjacent the periphery of the sheet at least one tab, and at least one slot opposite the tab said flexible sheet being formed around the kite string into an oblique frusto-conical shape with its apex pointing toward the kite said'tab being releasably received in said slot to cause said opening to define a passageway at the apex of the cone of sufiicient sizefor the kite string and of a sizetoprovide wind resistance for propelling said shape along and up the kite string, said shape being releasable from "the kite string onpulling the kite string in and suddenly releasing "it.

Reterences Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,15sis7i Tomlin Nov. 2, 1915 2,3973364' Myers Mar. 26, 1946 2,811,327 Roe Oct. 29, 1957 V FOREIGN PATENTS 23,027 Great Britain of 1902 

